CHAPTER 68 -THE RED CITY-
JULIETTE RILEY
These past days have been brutal to the citizens of Ezar, limited food and water. Their houses were destroyed because of the sudden war we were brought upon and have no much choice but to fight it.
I looked at the church, where religion is practiced and exercised to their god, the dragon god. Inside of the church are hundreds of people seeking treatment for their wounds and for their loved ones as well.
Unfortunately, I am no skilled healer in that area but I am able to keep them safe to a degree where they can sleep safe and sound because I won’t let another Elemental reach this far into the city.
Yet, it’s been quiet. No battle or sightings of these Elementals for the past days. What the hell is going on out there? I thought about walking on top of the giant wall of concrete that surrounded Ezar.
Covering every degree there is if the Elementals attack again, we are able to see it. About ten hundred miles outward, there is a vast forest that allows the dragons to inherit their own fighting styles and experience, and yet I’m concerned about that place. No eyes or witnesses are there, only monsters that kill mercilessly and eat their fallen prey.
I wished I’d go over there and investigate whatever there is, but with Luna gone to Afreon our chances of power have decreased by two folds. Luna and I are twenty percent of this country’s power, while the other is covered by the whole Millguard family: The Queen and King, Pearl and Eugene, the Dragon Generals.
I am a lieutenant and so is Luna. Chuzeoth, Aidryss, Someissoa, Froghyrth are generals, and yet what is Alter? A general? A Lieutenant?
His rank hasn’t been disclosed to any of those who are the Queen or King, I am sure that even the dragon siblings don’t know as well.
“Enough about that…” I slightly said, keeping my eyes open incase of any dangerous movement that might affect our lives. The two suns radiated a strong wave of heat, making me want to get rid of my red armor but I abstained to that decision.
The white and gold reflected the suns’ color into the stone wall, making it two times as hot.
Though I had fought numerous battles alongside Luna and the dragon generals, my armor and weapon are something I’m not able to get accustomed to. The spear–being my best weapon I enjoy using the most–completely over coordinates my movements and decisions in battle.
Training for half or even when days are not heavy isn’t an option anymore–as the attacks from the Elementals have ceased for some unknown reason–but to stay in duty and watch any possible means of potential danger to this kingdom.
Being lost in thought, the sun came to set and that meant that my shift was done. As I walked back to the entrance of the stairs that lead to the top of the walls, I noticed Hannah walking towards the entrance gates of Ezar. Covered in a dark gray hood, seemingly more dangerous than anyone around to make them uncomfortable just at sight.
Hannah was hiding something. I thought. Eyeing her every movement she did, whether it was a cross at the corner of the famous bakery or a straight walk into the wall…Wait. A straight walk into the wall?
The dragon witch looked around before walking straight into the wall, it seemed like she had abilities to walk through walls or something in the same category. As she did, the wall appeared to be like a sort of illusion. Giving the same visual effects as someone throwing a rock into a calm pond, the waves of what is thought to be hard stone, moved easily through her walking.
I was amazed at her calmness in this situation and of course in the illusion wall.
However, there was no time for me to be amazed at such a thing that never happens in Afreon and instead followed her, but not to close either. If I was found by her, things would end up being horrible in every way.
Having that in mind, I let go of the mana in my body and sectioned it into my core. With this, my theory of being undetectable from beings that are able to sense mana or are sensible to mana can’t sense me at all.
That was the case of me sometimes practicing during my shifts of guard duty, that is why sometimes I would get a scolding from the generals when they would find me.
After that, I walked into the same wall that Hannah walked through, but more skeptical as my hands first touched the wall and felt like a curtain of water. It felt thin and hollow, making me almost want to knock on it, yet I refrained from doing so.
On the other side of the ‘magic wall’ was a city of people who are different from the dragons, elves, dwarfs, demi-humans, and humans. Along with these different types of people or creatures, the scenery of the place was also a source of peace.
The dark and red color that serves as a source of light, illuminating the whole area of what seemed to be a crowded city. There were some buildings that seemed like inns or restaurants that were opened to the public. Almost every corner I saw, there was a tent or placement of items. A merchant’s dream, I thought.
Wait, where’s Hannah. After noticing why I was here, I turned to every single corner there was, trying to find the dragon witch that was suspicious to come here. Nevertheless, the more I tried to make sense of who she was or what she was doing here didn’t help me understand anything connected to this place.
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Dammit Hannah, where are you…
I cursed at her and myself for being so easily distracted by the sudden red city, that not only have I lost the witch for thinking she was suspicious but also my ticket to going back to Ezar.
The feeling of stubbornness was already being felt as I still couldn’t get by with a simple, ‘let’s go back to Ezar and forget everything about this’. I tried to look for the entrance that I had come from, but behind me—even though I didn’t physically move at all—there wasn’t anything but more crowded people. Everything around me had something to do with unknown people and merchants trying to sell their alien artifacts to others as they walked.
I had to find Hannah, one way or another. Then I remembered that there was a way to find her and that was to use the ability that Luna had taught me before she left for Afreon. The scouting ability for mana.
At any rate, my ability to use this skill was very amateurish for someone like me. Compared to Luna, my scouting ability might only compare to hers in terms of twenty percent accuracy. As for Luna’s accuracy is about ninety-six percent of the way.
Being able to fully understand any layout, structure, and design just by using the scouting skill. Next thing you know, she walks around that place like she was the one who had built it all up. Rather than me, who is only able to perceive dots in the darkness of the void.
Lit like fires seen from the high mountains. The brightness in the high and far away stars in the sky.
Every mana essence here is very different from each other, some are even the same but more unique and… I took a moment before finally moving from one spot to another, not losing hope in finding Hannah in this vast place.
The more I looked, the more discouraged I got. This red city had no end to its range of buildings and people. Like a long and unavoidable hallway that can’t be escaped from.
“I need a higher place,” with a low voice so that no one could hear me. I started to ignite the mana that I had taken in my core, the sudden feeling of warmth cursing through my veins as it settled to what it was before. Using the mana I had taken out, injecting it into my muscles in my legs, my calves. Strengthening my resistance to its magical thrive, spotting the largest building there was for me to use as a support of finding the dragon witch.
It was like a clock tower, but different in sense of understanding. The same structure of it resembled that of the demi-human and human kingdom, yet, the time telling was different, instead of numbers it was symbols of unknown meaning to me.
Though I had been in the royal library in both Afreon and Ezar, no resemblance comes to mind when I read about the meaning of learning the languages each dimension had.
No history that I’ve read in the books of records have described what these symbols mean, and more importantly, how this world is barely known to anyone.
The series of thoughts rushed through me as a hazard of wind capable of lifting up wagons with ease.
A sense of frustration veiled over me. My grip tightened against the white and goldish spear making it drop blood on the clock tower’s roof. Is there really no other way around to find Hannah?
The meaning of time here seemed meaningless, no matter how long I tried to stare at the ‘horizon’, the edge of what I had thought was the end–the limit of this place–things did not change. The red gloomy light that illuminated the city didn’t change, no, it’s more like it couldn’t do so.
Another worry entered my mind. However this one was as strong of a threat as if I couldn’t find Hannah, the meaning of time in this place, it might be unreasonable to anyone in here.
My interpretation of now having to stay here until I had found the witch was now an avoidable path.
On the other hand… I checked on my strength by closing and opening my hand, and the results were what I expected. My armor was getting heavy and so was my spear. The adoration of mana in this suit of armor was the cause of my sudden change in manipulation, yet, when I blocked my aura–re-calling the mana that had been a protective shield all this time back into my core–suddenly diminished in chances and usages.
Those minutes that I’d spent on finding Hannah without mana, tolled my muscles, circuits, and core to a brim. When my body asked for it back, I rejected the offer like an animal asking for water in the waterless section of the dwarf’s kingdom of Orielion.
If I keep this up, the aftermath of the effects may be painful to an extent where I can’t withstand it anymore. My vision began to change, the clear sight of the horizon turned into a blurry cloud, blocking every type of color and shape.
Before I knew it, my eyes had closed and my consciousness was gone.
HANNAH
I walked into the building where the mana came from, the sense of it was dying and being weakened to an extent. If I had received this vision seconds later, a death which he can’t and won’t recover from will pay him a visit.
Letting that happen was not in my list of fate and destiny, but instead I will be a little late to our meeting. I thought, almost reaching the last steps that lead into the rooftop of the clock tower.
The door was in sight and I opened without hesitation, and when I did I saw who the vision was telling me to save. The short black hair that beautifully was scattered in the tiles, along with the red crimson armor containing the mana from her body to dissipate and depleting her from gathering more mana while she is unconscious.
It was hungry though, the armor. It tried to trick us into thinking that it was saving her, but in reality it was trying to steal her mana and core for itself. A truly terrifying set of armor she encountered and stumbled upon, fate or destiny?
Once again, I found myself asking these questions about whether it is fate or destiny for these children, who have barely entered their teenage lifes in human years.
Both Luna and Juliette have only been alive for fifthteen years and they have already both passed the requirement for the mana core. Obtaining it and molded it into their own way of usage.
To be honest, I was amazed by such lengths of accomplishments that both of them have done in these past weeks. Luna became the envoy and sole leader of both generals Froghryth and Someissoa while being a lieutenant-rank. On the other hand, Juliette had become or is in her final steps to becoming a general-rank.
They are strong enough to hold their own against the Elemental’s new ranked general.
I stared down at the human lieutenant who was now powerless against anything, one that could fight against time and future. She–Juliette Riley, is one out of the two whose future I can’t see or predict, unlike Alter’s who I could clearly see and see what path he might take tomorrow or in a month. However, it isn’t truly dedicated into one path but to multiple ones.
Thinking and decisions that could bring chaos to the futures that Alter is bound to. If only one thing or thinking is changed because of him, the whole course of the perfect or to the worst possible outcome of his life, to the dimensions, change in my visions.
I ignited a device with my mana, it was a Sharpless triangle shape with a circle in the middle. Being imbued with healing particles that react to mana and heal whoever it is stuck into.
“Start sequence,” I lightly said. Placing the healing device on Juliette Riley’s chest, when it fully recognized its placement, the healing began. Fully covering her body with green and golden particles that represented healing and safeness.
The crimson armor had noticed the device, acting on its own like it was a symbiote, releasing a gunge of goo to the sharpless triangle. When it was centimeters away from touching the device, the red ooze’s arms were eradicated into small droplets of water by the bluish dome that surrounded the healing device.
It was acting on its own.
Is it protecting its master, or is it trying to make it seem like that? Veiling its own desires of something else?
No matter, I thought. In the end, the future doesn’t change whether or not it absorbs the machine.
I had already seen this far into the future, putting a protective barrier was part of my plan. Now the fruition of it has been successful, now all there is to wait is for…
Turning around to where the stairs were, footsteps echoed through and exited from the entrance. I guess she is here. My mind formed those words and I smiled excitedly.
“Hannah you brat, you look old.” Spoke the pink haired girl, showing her face that would tease me and the others.
“You as well look old, dear Layla.” I responded.